FINALLY! It seems like the world is getting back to some kind of normalcy, just as the summer season kicks in. This weekend is the “unofficial” start to summer (technically it’s not summer until June 20, 2021), but for most of us, Memorial Weekend is the kick-off to summer time. It’s time to toss off your worker uniform and have some fun!
Summer time was always the best time of year when I was a kid. These days I’m not a fan of summer like I used to be (I don’t like the sun, heat or humidity). I do miss how much fun I had during the summer months when I was a kid, most especially all the quality time I spent with my cousins. We had the time of our lives. Whether we were playing with toys and games, playing outside and going on grand adventures, or going on trips with our families… the summer time was always THE BEST TIME of the year.
If you’re looking for some fun toys for your child or grandchild that they can enjoy this summer (and beyond), check out these “cool” toys from the brands PLAYMOBIL, Hog Wild and Zing.
PLAYMOBIL 1.2.3. Knight’s Castle Sand Bucket OR The 1.2.3 Sand Bakery Sand Bucket ($24.99 each) – Hit the beach this summer with either of these adorable, high-quality pails and shovels. Perfect for the beach or backyard fun, each set has three different molds. Perfect for little ones can bring imaginative play to the beach or sandbox. Available on playmobil.us .
Sand buckets have certainly come a long way since I was a kid. Back in my day they were just little, red plastic buckets that came with a plastic shovel and rake. I wish I had buckets like this when I was a kid. I would have spent all day on the sand playing with them.
I was sent the 1.2.3 Sand Bakery Bucket to review.
This is not your run-of-the-mill sand bucket. This is so much more.
First and foremost, this is a quality made bucket/toy. It’s not cheaply made like most sand buckets are. This is a toy and a sand bucket (it serves both purposes).
This bucket some with a PLAYMOBIL figure dressed in a bakery worker uniform.
I like that this set comes with not only the form to make “cake” slices, but also pieces that you can use to “stamp” designs on top. It even comes with a dollop of whip cream, or it can be ice cream. There is a form for an “ice cream” cup as well (the blue one).
It’s up to a child’s imagination. How cute!
I don’t have access to sand right now (hopefully at some point over the summer), so I was unable to take a photo of what it would look like in the sand. If you look on the side of the box, you can see what you can do with this set.
The set also comes with tools to help a child “bake”, I mean create, “yummy” sand treats. The set comes with a “cake” server, an “ice cream” scoop and a sifting lid for the bucket.
At the end of the day, everything fits perfectly inside the bucket, and the lid attaches on top to keep everything in it’s place.
This is such a darling toy.
There is another sand bucket toy on the PLAYMOBIL set that also looks like it could be a lot of fun. It’s an ice cream shop set, similar to the bakery and knight’s castle sets.
All of these sets are available on the PLAYMOBIL.us website (notice it’s .us and not .com). These sets might be available at other retail locations too.
PLAYMOBIL is on social media. You should also check out the hashtag #PLAYMOBILSummerFun too!
Now this is an unsuaul toy. It’s called the Wing Ball, and it’s from the brand Hog Wild.
Wing Ball (Hog Wild; $14.99) – A totally tubular throwing toy! Thanks to its unique design, you can throw Wing Ball super speeds, great distances and even master the perfect spiral. Great for kids and adults; lightweight so easily tosses into your summer tote; great for beach or pool fun too ‘cause it floats!! Available on Amazon.
When I first received this “ball,” I thought for sure that there was no way it could really fly. It’s an odd looking shape, and it has holes in it.
I guess you could say this is about the same of a regular football, but much lighter in weight. It has a foam-like feel to it (soft, pliable, lightweight).
This took me a bit to figure out how to throw it. In my defense, I have a hard time throwing footballs because I have tiny hands. After some trial and error, I got this to fly for me. My co-worker got it to work perfectly the first time he threw it.
In a way, this toy reminds me of the “kites” or “planes” (as they are often called) that we made at work a while back out of straws and paper. The image (below) is from the DIY Network (I couldn’t find one that we made at work). If you would like the instructions, you can find them here – How to Make Straw and Paper Planes.
I brought this to work with me, and due to the nature of my job (I work with children that are not my own), I cannot take photos or videos of them playing with this toy. I can say they had fun with it. Some of them had no clue how to use it (the little ones). The older kids picked up on it right away.
This is a good size and weight for kids hands. Even adults with larger hands (like my co-worker) can enjoy playing with this.
I tried to find a video on it in action on YouTube. I did find a few, so if you want to see this fly through the air, look it up on YouTube.
This is a fun toy that two or more people can play with on the beach, or in the backyard. Because it’s so light weight, and it’s not that big, its easy enough to take with you on vacation or the day at the beach. This would even be fun to take with you camping.
If you would like to learn more about this and other toys from Hog Wild, you can check them out online at HogWildToys.com. The brand can also be found on social media.
If you want to say what others are saying about this toy, check out the hashtag #HogWildWingBall.
Another interesting summer toy (I did NOT receive it to review), is the Go Go Bird by the brand, Zing.
Go Go Bird (Zing; $39.99) – R/C meets today’s trending drone toys with the wing-flapping Go Go Bird. Perfect for the outdoors or on the beach fun – this modern day kite flies distances of up to 100 feet! With a smart obstacle-avoiding module that uses infrared sensors, Go Go Bird has autonomous obstacle recognition and will automatically turn around 6 feet away from the wall for self-protection. Inside of Go Go Bird, there’s also a six-axis sensor, so it can take off by lifting your hand up and down when you’re ready to fly. Available on Amazon. Hashtag: #GoGoBird
This looks really interesting. I found a YouTube video about it.
These toys would be a lot of fun all summer long (and beyond).
Which toy do you think your child/grandchild would enjoy? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I received free product samples to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
Maryann D. says
PLAYMOBIL 1.2.3. Knight’s Castle Sand Bucket OR The 1.2.3 Sand Bakery Sand Bucket would be wonderful for my niece! These toys are super for children’s imagination and so much fun!